RN students: unobtrusive cost-effective change agents.

A teaching learning project that empowers registered nurse (RN) to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) senior nursing students to undertake cost containment and quality improvement pilot projects in the institutions where they work enables nursing education and nursing service to collaborate in promoting cost containment and quality improvement. Understanding how this process was implemented in one institution, as well as the outcomes, can help guide the application of this creative teaching strategy.

DONs in long-term care facilities: contemporary roles, current credentials, and educational needs.

The need for educated nursing leaders in long-term care facilities is critical now and will continue to be well into this century. The purpose of this research was to replicate and geographically extend a descriptive survey conducted by Heine (1995) to determine the roles and responsibilities of directors of nursing (DONs) in long-term care nursing facilities (LTCNF) as well as their educational preparation, current professional credentials, and educational needs. 945 DONs in LTCNF in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) as identified in state directories of nursing home facilities were surveyed. Completed questionnaires were returned by 247 DONs for an overall response rate of 26%. DONs in LTCNF reported that they were most involved in roles/responsibilities related to nursing/health services management and least involved in professional nursing and long-term care management.

Nursing informatics in a registered nurse graduate program.

For many Registered Nurses the question is not whether to advance their education, but how to attain the requisite formal learning experiences given their professional and personal responsibilities. One innovative approach to facilitating the pathway to graduate education for a group of very experienced nurses lacking the BSN is the RN-MS Program at Northeastern University. This graduate-level curriculum provides an opportunity for selected Associate Degree and Diploma prepared nurses to integrate their basic nursing education, extensive clinical practice, professional leadership experience, and practical knowledge base within an extended (85 quarter hours) formal graduate program of study in a nursing specialization. The learning paradigm includes Nursing Informatics and computer competency. The intent of this work was to analyze the experience of RN applicants--students who participated in the faculty designed seminar and developed a typed portfolio using word processing software as part of the admission process in the RN to MS Program. The Nursing Informatics (computer competency component) and its integration throughout the curriculum will be evaluated.

Integration of nursing informatics in a registered nurse graduate program.

Experienced registered nurses (RNs) are adult learners seeking a program of study in many academic settings to prepare for the advanced practice nursing role. They want a visionary curriculum that builds on their previous experience and develops their creativity in meeting educational goals and objectives [1]. At the Northeastern University College of Nursing in Boston such a program exists. Building on their first foundation course, Professional Development Seminar, RN students are exposed to the Benner Model, From Novice to Expert [2].

Children's use of summer camp health facilities: a longitudinal study.

This descriptive study explores the relationship between age, developmental level, and gender and school age campers' use of camp heath facilities. The sample consists of 370 campers (141 girls, 229 boys) who attended three summer camps between 1977 and 1990. Encounters recorded in the nurses' log books are analyzed. Accidents and injuries, communicable diseases, discomfort-related problems, and allergies are the most frequent reasons for visits. Gender has a significant effect on midseason and odd-time visits and visits for accidents/injuries and constitutional symptoms. Low users visited most frequently for accidents/injuries; and high users for viral syndromes. More boys were low users. Factors that influence children's visits to camp health centers need further study.

Developing nurse leaders for today and tomorrow, Part 1, foundations of leadership in practice.

Primary care, with a community-based orientation, is the driving force of healthcare reform. To prepare nurses to provide leadership in this changing healthcare environment, the Manager as Developer Model, useful in the acute care setting, is discussed as a useful model for primary care. Part 1 describes the Manager as Developer Model of Leadership Preparation with its seven major concepts as the basis for development of professionals. Its application to nurse managers in acute care settings is supported by research studies undertaken in those settings. Also discussed is how the model is used as a process framework in a nursing administration curriculum and the research to date, with its application. In part 2 (October 1996), the authors predict how the model's use can guide the development of leadership and education for the future of community-based practice.

Developing nurse leaders for today and tomorrow. Part 2, Implementing a model of leadership for community-based practice.

In part 1 of this two-part series, the authors described the Manager as Developer Model and its use in acute care settings and a community-based nursing administration curriculum. In this article, they predict its use to guide development of leadership and education for the future of community-based practice.

Uncovering the knowledge embedded in clinical nurse manager practice.

To redesign effective nurse manager roles, data-based descriptions of their skilled performance and developmental learning are essential. This article is the first report of an interpretive, phenomenologic study to identify the skills and expertise embedded in the practice of nurse managers. The data describe how nurse managers operationalize institution values for patient care, and conversely, the impact of organization values on nurse managers' everyday behavior.

Vision for a treasured resource. Part 2. Nurse manager learning needs.

Part 1 in this two-part series focused on the meaning of significant incidents in nurse managers' practice related to role implementation. Explanation of the authors' application of the Manager as Developer Model (MADM) as a useful model for organizing and understanding some of the data was also discussed. Part 2 describes significant incidents in nurse managers' practice related to their ongoing learning needs. The authors address issues of performance counseling and intervention versus coaching and make recommendations for management development programs.

Vision for a treasured resource. Part 1, Nurse manager role implementation.

The importance of the nurse manager for both quality patient care and organizational effectiveness seems indisputable. With decentralized decision-making, the role of the nurse manager has expanded in both scope and accountability. In this two-part article, role implementation of the nurse manager and associated learning needs are described. This article focuses on interpreting significant incidents related to role implementation in nurse managers' practice. It also shows how the authors used the Manager as Developer Model for organizing and understanding some of the data. Part 2 (April 1997) will describe and interpret significant incidents related to nurse managers' ongoing learning needs.